Fantastic Merlins
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A mysterious blend of jazz and chamber music brings together visceral power and sparse textures through original compositions and improvised pieces - producing sounds that are intriguing, energetic, and positive.
Listening to Fantastic Merlins is like walking down an alley in a film noir: shadowy characters, ambiguous motives, and cliffhanger moments abound. Both dissonant and resonant, Fantastic Merlins effortlessly weave together the dark and the light, the dangerous and innocent. Their cinematic sound coalesces organically in an exquisite tension between jazz and chamber music, surprising listeners as often as it soothes.
Fantastic Merlins’ balance between highly orchestrated passages and improvisational flights of fancy creates a constant process of discovery. It keeps the Fantastic Merlins’ sound fresh — delighting both listeners and band members themselves. This process produces momentary mysteries, too: discerning the difference between dramatically different instruments can be nearly impossible.
Fantastic Merlins' most recent album, How the light gets in, is mostly composed of our interpretations of songs by Leonard Cohen, with a few original tunes of ours inspired by his work thrown in as well. The package of the CD is amazing - a 50 page booklet of paintings by the wonderful artist Stephane Levallois depicting a scenario by Jean Simon about the band, the Black Dog, Leonard Cohen, Federico Garcia Lorca, and others. It's not available in the US yet - except at the Black Dog Cafe in St. Paul - but you can order it from various sites online.
Fantastic Merlins’ first studio album, Look Around, creates a swirling tension just underneath the surface, which keeps listeners under its spell from beginning to end. Moody and gorgeous, it is an album-length siren song and was chosen as a semi-finalist for the 2007 Grammys in the Best Jazz Instrumental category.
Fantastic Merlins’ second studio release, A Handful of Earth, has been gestating for a couple of years; instead of a mere follow-up to their acclaimed debut, they’ve delivered a decisive artistic leap forward. Without sacrificing their adventurous spirit, the Merlins have tactically embraced simplicity and outright lyricism. They’ve opened their blend of jazz, classical, and improv to more possibilities in order to deliver memorable surprises. Discovery is key to the Merlins’ music. A Handful of Earth features a procession of fantastical alleys, fields, and groves awaiting your exploration.
Nathan Hanson is a composer/performer who specializes in improvised music. Noted as a musician who is “probing” (Jazziz) and “unexpectedly tasteful and dignified” (ImproJazz-France), he has performed with legends including DIZZY GILLESPIE, CECIL TAYLOR, MARK DRESSER, and DOUGLAS EWART, as well as CHRIS POTTER, TONY MALABY, LIBERTY ELLMAN, CAREI THOMAS, ELLIOT HUMBERTO KAVEE, and FEDERICO UGHI. Hanson is a graduate of Newberry College and the University of South Carolina. After many years on the east coast, living in New York, Maine, Maryland and Florida, Hanson returned to his hometown of Minneapolis.
Daniel Levin began playing the cello at age six. He has performed and/or recorded with BILLY BANG, BORAH BERGMAN, TIM BERNE, ANTHONY BRAXTON, ROB BROWN, WHIT DICKEY, MARK DRESSER, JOE MORRIS, JOE MCPHEE, WILLIAM PARKER, WARREN SMITH, KEN VANDERMARK, and many others. Daniel has recorded as a sideman for Clean Feed, EMANEM, Not Two, and RogueART. His records as a leader are on Riti Records, Hat Hut, and Clean Feed. Daniel is the recipient of a 2010 Jerome Foundation Award.
Brian Roessler is a bassist, composer, and long-time student of double bass virtuoso FRANÇOIS RABBATH. His composition “Returning to Silence” was chosen as the subject of a masterclass with HENRY THREADGILL at the MacPhail Center for Music. Roessler has recorded and performed with artists including TONY HYMAS, DIDIER PETIT, CAREI THOMAS, DAN NAVARRO, PETER MAYER, SPEAKING IN TONGUES, STORYHILL, and SPYMOB. In addition to being a founding member of FANTASTIC MERLINS, Roessler is a collaborator in COMMUNITY POOL with NATHAN HANSON and PEET FETSCH.
A 2010 recipient of an American Composers Forum MINNESOTA EMERGING COMPOSER AWARD, Hennig is a former student of DAVE KING, (BAD PLUS, HAPPY APPLE, DAVE KING TRUCKING COMPANY) and McNally Smith College of Music. Hennig continues to study with renowned New York drummer, ARI HOENIG. In addition to FANTASTIC MERLINS, he composes for and performs with ATLANTIS QUARTET, PARK EVANS QUARTET, ANDRA SUCHY, ZACC HARRIS TRIO, DEB BROWN, DAN MUSSELMAN TRIO and SAM KUUSISTO. He has also performed with DEBBIE DUNCAN, RENEE AUSTIN, SOPHIA SHORAI, KATIE GEARTY, BRUCE HENRY, PATRICK HARISON, KELLY ROSSUM, THE HORN HEADS, JOSH RAWLINGS, BRYAN NICHOLS, and ADAM LINZ.
History
2004 Fantastic Merlins begins as the trio of Nathan Hanson saxophone, Jacqueline Ultan cello, and Brian Roessler bass at the Clown Lounge, St. Paul, MN
2005 The band becomes a quartet with the addition of Federico Ughi drums. "Look Around" is recorded.
2007 "Look Around" released by Innova Records.
2008 Peter Hennig joins the group on drums, replacing Federico Ughi. "A Handful of Earth" is recorded.
2009 "A Handful of Earth" is released. "How the Light Gets In", a collection of songs by Leonard Cohen arranged by Fantastic Merlins, is recorded with Matt Turner replacing Jacqueline Ultan on cello, and Darren Jackson aka Kid Dakota on vocals.
2010 "How the Light Gets In" is released in conjunction with a special performance by Fantastic Merlins and Kid Dakota at the Sons d’Hiver Festival in Paris. Cellist Daniel Levin joins the band for a week-long tour of France in November, and as the permanent fourth member of the quartet.
Members
Nathan Hanson saxophone
Daniel Levin cello
Brian Roessler bass
Peter Hennig drums
Former Members
Federico Ughi drums
Jacqueline Ultan cello
Matt Turner cello
Discography
How the Light Gets In (2010)
A Handful Of Earth (2009)
Look Around (2007)
Fantastic Merlins Live (2005)
Audio
Related Web sites
FantasticMerlins.com
Facebook Page
Myspace Page
Community Pool website
nato records website
Nathan Hanson's website
Daniel Levin's website
Brian Roessler's website
Related groups
Community Pool
Atlantis Quartet
Kid Dakota
Electropolis
Spymob
Alva Star
